The II. Chapter.
[ A] Therfore canst thou not excuse thy selfe (O mā) who soeuer thou be that iudgest: for loke wherin thou iud∣gest another, thou condemnest thy selfe, in so moch as thou that iudgest, doest euen the same. For we are sure that the iudgment of God is (acordinge to the trueth) ouer them that do soch. But thinkest thou this O thou man, that iudgest them which do soch thin∣ges, and doest euen the very same thy selfe, that thou shalt escape yt iudgmēt of God? Or despysest thou the riches of his goodnes∣se, pacience, and lōge sufferinge? Knowest thou not, that ye louynge kyndnesse of God leadeth the to repentaunce?
But thou after thine harde and impeni∣tent hert, heapest vnto thy selfe a treasure of wrath, agaynst the daye of wrath and of the openynge of the righteous iudgment of God, which shal rewarde euery man acor¦dinge to his dedes: namely, prayse & honou∣re, and vncorrupcion, vnto them that with pacience in doinge good, seke euerlastinge li¦fe: But vnto them that are contencious & not obedient vnto the trueth, but obeye vn∣righteousnes, shal come indignacion and wrath, trouble and anguysh vpō all the sou¦les of mē that do euell, of the Iewe first and also of the Greke: But vnto all thē that do good (shal come) prayse and honoure, and peace, vnto the Iewe first, and also to the Greke.
[ B] For there is no respecte of personnes be∣fore God: Who so euer haue synned without lawe, shal perish also without lawe: and whosoeuer haue synned in the lawe, shalbe iudged by the lawe. For before God; they are not righteous, which heare ye lawe: but they that do the lawe, shalbe iustified. For yf the Gentyles which haue not the lawe, do of nature the thinges conteyned in the lawe, then they hauynge not the lawe, are a lawe vnto them selues, in that they shewe, that the worke of ye lawe is wryttē in their hertes: whyle their conscience beareth wit∣nesse vnto thē, and also the thoughtes which accuse or excuse them amonge them selues, in the daye whan God shal iudge the secre∣tes of men by Iesus Christ, acordinge to my Gospell.
But take hede, thou art called a Iewe, and trustest in the lawe, & makest thy boost of God, and knowest his will: & for so moch as thou art enfourmed out of ye lawe, thou prouest what is best to do, and presumest to be a leader of the blynde: a lighte of them yt are in darcknes: an enformer of ye vnwyse: a teacher of ye symple: which hast the ensam¦ple of knowlege & of the trueth in the lawe.
Now teachest thou other, and teachest not thy selfe. Thou preachest that a man [ C] shulde not steale, and thou stealest. Thou sayest, that a man shulde not breake wedloc¦ke, and thou breakest wedlocke. Thou abhor¦rest ymages, and robbest God of his honou¦re. Thou makest thy boost of the lawe, and thorow breakynge of the lawe thou disho∣norest God. For thorow you is the name of God euell spoken of amonge the Gentyles, * as it is wrytten.
The circūcision verely avayleth, yf thou kepe the lawe: but yf thou breake the lawe, then is thy circumcision become vncircum∣cision. Therfore yf the vncircumcision ke∣pe the righte thinges conteyned in the lawe, shal not his vncircumcision be coun∣ted for circumcision? And so it that of natu∣re is vncircumcision, and fulfilleth the lawe shal iudge the, which vnder the letter and circumcision trāsgressest the lawe. For he is not a Iew which is a Iewe outwa••de: ne∣ther is that circūcision which is done out∣wardly in ye flesh: But he is a Iewe, which is hydd within. And the circumcision of ye hert is the circumcision, which is done in the sprete and not in the letter: Whose pray∣se is not of men, but of God.